Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Enrollment

How do I add, drop, or change my grade option and what are deadlines to add, drop or change my grade option?
How many units may I take Pass/No Pass?
Where can I go to get an Athletic Planning Guide?
How do I determine my class level?
What is a student record hold?
How can I receive part-time status?
What is a Withdrawal?
How can I get readmitted back to UCI?
Can I be considered for admission to a program for a second degree for the School of Social Ecology?
How do I understand DegreeWorks?
I thought I satisfied Category V. Why does DegreeWorks say I have not?
 

Graduation

How and when do I apply to graduate?
How are academic honors at graduation (also known as Latin Honors) determined?
Are academic honors reflected on my official records?
Where can I go to find commencement information?
What is a Degree Verification Letter and how do I request one?
Where can I find information on graduate programs?

 

Course Information

If I have taken Statistics, can I waive SocEcol 13?
What is the difference between SE198 (Directed Studies) and SE199 (Special Studies)?
What is the GIS Specialization for the Urban Studies major?
Can I take classes at a community college?
How do I petition to waive a course?
How do I petition to take a course at a community college?
How do I take courses through UCI Concurrent Enrollment?
How do I transfer courses to UCI that I completed at UCI Concurrent Enrollment?
What should I be doing during my time at UCI, academically, personally and career-wise?
 

GPA and Grading Information

What is academic dishonesty?
What is my UC GPA?
How do I calculate my GPA?
What is the Dean's Honor List?
What is academic standing?
What is academic probation?
What is an "Incomplete"?
What is "P/NP"?
What does "IP" stand for on my transcript?
What does "NR" stand for and what do I do if I receive this as a grade?
What does "UR" stand for on my transcript?
What is a "W" (Withdrawal) and how does it affect my GPA?
When can I repeat a course?
 

 

Enrollment
 

How do I add, drop, or change my grade option and what are the deadlines to add, drop or change my grade option?
You may make these changes on WebReg up to the deadlines.
The deadline to DROP a course is the Friday of Week 2 at 5 p.m.
The deadline to CHANGE the grading option for a course or to CHANGE the variable units for a course via WebReg is the Friday of Week 2 at 5 p.m. During Weeks 3-10, until Friday of Week 10 at 5pm, you must request this change via Student Access -> Applications -> Enrollment Exception.
The deadline to ADD a course is Friday of Week 2 at 5 p.m.


How many units may I take Pass/No Pass?
No more than an average of four units per quarter per the number of quarters in residence at UCI. School and major requirements must be taken for a letter grade.


Where can I go to get an Athletic Planning Guide?
Student-athletes, please email sepeer@uci.edu with your Athletic Planning Guide. They will route it to the appropriate counselor for processing. If the counselor has follow up questions, they will reach out to your UCI email.


How do I determine my class level?
Your class level is determined by the number of units you have completed as follows:

Freshman = 0.0 - 44.9
Sophomore = 45.0 - 89.9
Junior = 90.0 - 134.9
Senior = 135.0+

 
What is a student record hold?
This is a hold placed on a student's record by certain offices (e.g., academic counseling offices, Office of Admissions). That office must remove the hold before the student enrolls in classes.
 


How can I apply for part-time status?
A formal, Reduced Fee Part-Time Study Program Application is available via StudentAccess -> Applications.This is granted by the academic unit for reasons of occupation (>30 hrs/wk), health (illness), or family responsibility. Fees include full university registration fee and one-half the education fee. Enrollment is limited to 10 units or less per quarter.


What is a Withdrawal?
If you wish to drop ALL your courses and withdraw from the term after paying tuition and fees, you must request a Withdrawal

You must submit a withdrawal form before 5 p.m. on the last day of instruction.
Do not drop any of your courses. Your classes will be dropped for you automatically during the withdrawal process.
Do not stop payment on the check used to pay tuition and fees instead of filing the withdrawal form.
To drop one course, use WebReg through Week 2 or Enrollment Exceptions after Week 2. Do not use the withdrawal application.


How can I get readmitted back to UCI?
Readmission into a major or academic department is subject to academic unit approval and campus deadlines. A $70 non-refundable application fee and good academic standing (upon leaving) are required. You can request that your readmission to the School of Social Ecology be reviewed via our Readmission Application. Please refer to the University's General Catalogue for more information.

 
Can I be considered for admission to a program for a second degree for the School of Social Ecology?

The School of Social Ecology is not accepting Second Baccalaureate applications.
 

To find a list of other majors open for Second Baccalaureate applicants, please visit:

http://admissions.uci.edu/applicants/second_baccalaureate.html

 
 
How do I understand DegreeWorks?
Please visit this webpage to learn more about the DegreeWorks nuances.
 
I thought I satisfied GE Category V. Why does DegreeWorks say I have not?
GE Category V can be satisfied in two ways:
  • Take 2 courses from Catefory Va and 1 course from Category Vb
  • Take 1 course from Category Va and 2 courses from Category Vb
DegreeWorks is defaulting to show you Category V as 1 course from Va and 2 courses from Vb.

If you took [or want to take] 2 courses from Va, and plan on finishing this requirement by taking only 1 course from Vb, please submit a DegreeWorks Update form.
 
If you're unsure, contact us!
 

Graduation


How and when do I apply to graduate?
You may apply to graduate by submitting an online Application for Graduation through StudentAccess once you have completed 120 units. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible, ideally, before the 7th week of the quarter prior to when you plan to finish (e.g. If you plan to finish in Spring, apply before the end of Week 7 in Winter). 

 

How are Latin honors determined?

Of the graduating seniors in the School of Social Ecology (majors in CLS, PSCI, SE, US), approximately 12 percent will be awarded Latin honors: 1 percent summa cum laude, 3 percent magna cum laude and 8 percent cum laude. Latin honors is determined and awarded based on a student's cumulative GPA at the end of their final term at UCI. The School of Social Ecology calculates honors eligibility based on historical data. The GPAs of students who received summa, magna and cum laude honors over the past three years have been averaged and those GPA averages used to determine the top 12% of the year’s graduating class.

Cut-offs for Latin honors for the upcoming year will be available in mid-August. Students must adhere to UCI’s academic honesty policy and have no charges of academic dishonesty on their record. In addition, students must complete 72 quarter units in residence at a UC campus by the end of the final term at UCI.

More information and current cut offs can be found here.

 


Are academic honors reflected on my offical records?
Yes. Undergraduates who have graduated with Latin or Campuswide Honors will have this noted on their diploma beneath the University Seal. Latin and Campuswide Honors will also be posted to academic transcripts. Honors will appear on your transcript approximately 8 weeks after you have completed your degree requirements. In addition, those students graduating with academic honors will be recognized in the UCI Commencement Program. Students graduating in the prior summer, fall or winter will have the actual honors noted in the program. Students graduating in the spring will be recognized in the program as eligible for honors (based on their winter cumulative GPA). Students who will complete their degrees in the upcoming summer will have their honors reflected in the next year’s program.

Where can I go to find commencement information?
Cap and gown, senior portrait, and commencement ceremony information can be found on the Commencement Web site. More information can be found on UCI's Seniors Web site.


What is a Degree Verification Letter and how do I request one?
If you are applying for a job or graduate school and are required to provide proof of your degree completion before your degree has been posted to your transcripts, you may request a Degree Verification Letter for this purpose. More information can be found here.

 

Where can I find information on graduate programs?
The Career Center and Graduate Resource Center serve as excellence resources for information on preparing for and applying to graduate programs.
 

Course Information


If I have taken Statistics, can I waive SocEcol 13?
If you have completed introductory statistics courses at UCI (Math 7 or STATS 7, BIO SCI 7/STATS 8, SocEcol 166 A-B-C, or SOC SCI 10 A-B-C, etc.) or an approved introductory statistics course from a community college, you can waive SocEcol13. In these circumstances, you do not have to petition to waive SocEcol 13. Fill out a DegreeWorks update form to to have the completion of SocEcol 13 reflected on your DegreeWorks. If you have taken an introductory statistics course at another college or university, please see "HOW DO I PETITION TO WAIVE A COURSE?"


What is the difference between SE198 (Directed Studies) and SE199 (Special Studies)?

  • Directed Studies (SocEcol 198) is a course that may be taken for 1-4 units of elective credit. In the School of Social Ecology, SocEcol198 is available for P/NP grading ONLY. Its primary purpose is to allow students to have some preliminary exposure to research either by assisting a faculty member or a graduate student. A student may interview subjects, do computer coding, or do library research.

 

  • Special Studies (SocEcol 199) can be taken for 1-4 units of elective credit; four units of graded SocEcol199 may be petitioned to be used in lieu of one upper-division Social Ecology course. Generally, students taking a Special Studies course are more deeply involved in research methodologies and either assist a faculty member with his/her ongoing research project or have identified a specific area of interest that may have been only briefly covered in class. Students may also pursue an idea of their own with the assistance of a Social Ecology faculty member.

What is the GIS Specialization for the Urban Studies major?

Urban Studies majors can augment their training with a degree specialization in Geographic Information Systems.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Specialization Course Requirements:

UPPP 120 Introduction to GIS for Planning and Policy
UPPP 125 Advanced GIS
UPPP 127 Special Topics in Urban Studies (GIS Capstone)

Courses taken for the GIS Specialization can be used towards the Urban Studies major. 

Back to Course Information


Can I take classes at a community college?


Once you have begun coursework at UCI and declared a major, you CANNOT return to the community college to complete writing requirements for General Education/Breadth. However, you may elect to take courses to fulfill some, or all, of your other General Education requirements, fulfill elective units, or fulfill lower-division Social Ecology school or major requirements. Check www.assist.org to find out which courses are transferable to UCI and/or satisfy UCI's General Education, school or major requirements. Please see an academic counselor if you wish to take courses outside UCI.

Some important things to remember if you are planning on taking courses at a community college: 1) There is a limit of 105 quarter units (70 semester units) that you may transfer from the community college. 2) Your GPA for courses taken at a community college does not transfer. 3) You are responsible for knowing if you have already taken a course either at UCI or at another community college which is the same as the course you are planning on taking. You will not receive additional credit for the duplicate course.


How do I petition to waive a course?

If you believe that you may have fulfilled a course that is required for your major or general education requirements, you may petition the course. The Course Waiver Petition is for courses you have taken at another college or university which does not already have an articulated agreement with the University. All petition processing takes approximately four to eight weeks.


How do I petition to take a course at a community college?
If you plan to take courses at a community college in California, you may use www.assist.org to identify which courses will be transferable to the university and can satisfy UCI's General Education requirements. If the courses you are planning to take are listed on the ASSIST Web site, you do not have to petition them through our office. Simply send official transcripts of the course(s) you took to UCI Undergraduate Admissions, where your work will be evaluated to determine the unit credit you will receive. Once you see the course(s) in the Electives section of your DegreeWorks, submit a DegreeWorks Update Form to have your course(s) reflected.

If you are planning to attend a community college that is not listed on ASSIST, or another four-year university, please consult with an academic counselor prior to your enrollment. Upon completion of the course(s), have your transcript sent to the UCI Undergraduate Admissions. To have the course(s) evaluated for UCI course credit, fill out a Course Waiver Petition. Finally, remember to consult an academic counselor regarding senior residency if you wish to take any of these courses in your last year at UC Irvine (e.g., last 36 units).

How do I take courses through UCI Concurrent Enrollment? (Formerly ACCESS UCI)
Visit UCI Concurrent Enrollment for information on enrolling in courses.
*If you are planning to take SocEcol 195 Field Study through UCI Concurrent Enrollment you must notify Field Study Staff. Once you have been approved and authorized for Field Study, you will be guaranteed a seat in one of the SocEcol 195 courses. However, we cannot guarantee which course will be available so you should prepare to be flexible with your schedule.

How do I transfer courses to UCI that I completed at UCI Continuing Education?
If you have taken courses through UCI Continuing Education, you must submit official transcripts to UCI Undergraduate Admissions in order to receive credit for these courses. The courses are NOT transferred automatically. 


 

GPA and Grading Information

 

What is academic dishonesty?
Academic misconduct, in its most basic form, is gaining or attempting to gain a grade, degree, or other academic accomplishment by any means other than through your own work. Please refer to UCI's Office of Academic Integrity and Student Conduct for more information.


What is my UC GPA?
GPA stands for Grade Point Average and is based on the average of all classes taken. The average of classes taken at UCI (or another UC campus) is your UC GPA. Your UC GPA also includes grades earned form any courses at other UC campuses. Grades earned at other four-year universities or at a community college are not included in your UC GPA.


How do I calculate my GPA?
1) Convert the grades that you received to grade points (see below). 2) In each class, multiply the number of units for the class by the grade points awarded (for example, a grade of 'B+' in a 4-unit class is equal to 3.3 x 4 for a total of 13.2 grade points). 3) Add up the total grade points you have received, and the total number of units attempted in your classes. 4) Divide the total number of grade points by the total number of units; this is your GPA. Your overall GPA is also calculated each quarter and posted on your transcript.

Grades and Grade Points:
 

A+, A, A- Excellent: A+ = 4.0 A = 4.0 A- = 3.7
B+, B, B- Good: B+ = 3.3 B = 3.0 B- = 2.7
C+, C, C- Average: C+ = 2.3 C = 2.0 C- = 1.7
D+, D, D- Lowest passing grade: D+ = 1.3 D = 1.0 D- = 0.7
F Not passing: F = 0.0



Grades of Pass (P), No Pass (NP), Withdraw (W), Unauthorized Repeat (UR), Incomplete (I), and In Progress (IP) are not included in the computation of the grade point average which appears on the permanent record.

 
What is the Dean's Honor List?
The Dean's Honors Listis a notation on a transcript for students who achieve a quarterly grade point average of 3.5 or better in a minimum of 12 graded units.


What is academic standing?
In assessing academic standing, the School of Social Ecology reviews student's GPA in four separate areas:

Overall GPA: The grade point average in all of the classes you have taken at UCI and any other UC campus attended. Grades from other schools (i.e., community colleges) are not included.

Major GPA: The grade point average in the upper-division major and school requirements you have taken. 

School and Major GPA: The grade point average in all classes required for your major. This would include all letter graded lower division school and major requirements, all letter graded upper division school requirements you may have, and any upper-division classes you have taken in your major.

Quarter GPA: The grade point average of the most recent term in which you received grades.

*In order to remain in good academic standing, all four GPAs listed above must be at least a 2.0.*


What is academic probation?
If your overall, upper-division major, or school and major GPA falls below 2.0 after any one quarter, you will be sent an e-mail notifying you that you are being placed on academic probation until you raise the GPA(s) in delinquent standing to 2.0 or above. For each quarter that you are on academic probation, you will receive an e-mail notification. If you are on academic probation for any four quarters, you may be subject to dismissal from the university.


What is an 'Incomplete'?
An 'I' (or Incomplete) may be assigned by an instructor in place of the grade for a course. This indicates that the student's work is of passing quality, but his/her coursework for the quarter is not complete at the time grades must be submitted. An 'I' turns into a 'F' after 12 months.


What is 'P/NP'?
P/NP is a grading option in which letter grades are not assigned. Only the marks for Pass (equal to a grade of 'C' or better) or Not Pass (equal to 'C-' or below, no course or unit credit earned) are assigned. P/NP marks are not calculated into the student's GPA. Unless a course is designated as P/NP only, students may not take courses toward their school and major requirements P/NP.


What does 'IP' stand for on my degree audit?
'IP' stands for In Progress and its use is restricted to sequential courses. Use of this mark indicates that the grade for the course will be determined and assigned when the entire sequence of courses is complete.


What does 'NR' stand for and what do I do if I receive this as a grade?
An 'NR' indicates that there was No Report of a grade from the instructor. A student who receives an 'NR' for a course should contact the instructor of the course immediately to arrange to have the 'NR' removed or replaced. An 'NR' becomes an 'F' one quarter after it has been assigned. A 'NR' can only be changed by the instructor who originally assigned it.


What does "UR" stand for on my transcript?
'UR' is used to flag a course that the Office of Admissions and Relations with Schools determine to be an Unauthorized Repeat of a course the student has already taken and passed at UCI or at another college or university. No unit credit will be given for courses marked 'UR'.


What is a 'W' (Withdrawal) and how does it affect my GPA?
The 'W' notation is assigned to a student's transcript when a course is dropped after the sixth week of the quarter. The 'W' does not negatively impact your GPA, but is a marker used to indicate that the student was enrolled in the class beyond the sixth week. It does not indicate whether the student was passing or failing. It is not advisable to accumulate many 'Ws' on your transcript


When can I repeat a course?
Undergraduate students may choose to repeat classes when grades of 'C-', 'D+', 'D', 'D-', 'F', or NP were received. Degree credit for courses so repeated is given only once, but the grade assigned at each enrollment is permanently recorded. In calculating your GPA, only the most recent grade is used for the first 16 units repeated. If a student repeats more than 16 units, the GPA is based on all additional grades assigned. Classes originally taken for a letter grade CANNOT be repeated on a P/NP basis.